Message from the Council

Jun 13, 2016 09:55AM
● By Bryan Scott

It’s been about eight months since the Murray City Council implemented our live streaming of city council meetings. Most people do not like to see themselves broadcast live, and we are no exception! However, we as a council feel that this has been a positive step in helping our residents be more aware of city council actions. Many of our residents are not able to attend the meetings in person due to a number of reasons, so this is the next best thing to stay connected.

Our regular city council meetings, which are generally held on the first and third Tuesday each month, are available for live viewing at murraycitylive.com, and can be viewed on demand thereafter. You can also reach the city council meetings from a link on the Murray City homepage at murray.utah.gov. By selecting the “ARCHIVE” button, a person can select any council meeting since October 20, 2015. This is especially convenient if you are interested in viewing a specific agenda item, as you are able to “fast forward” to any portion of the meeting.

Although this is a live stream, it is not an interactive feed. In other words, a person who wishes to make comments at a public hearing still must do so in person, OR written comments can be submitted ahead of time to the council office if a resident wishes for their comments to be included in the public record.

Of course, we still love for our residents to attend our meetings in person, and we especially welcome our Boy Scout troops who frequently come to fulfill merit badge requirements. At each council meeting, near the beginning, we allow the opportunity for anyone from the public to make comments up to three minutes in length to the council on any topic, as long as they are respectful and the subject is not scheduled for a public hearing at the same meeting. It’s important to note that no action can be taken on citizen comments in the meeting, as they are not agenda items, but they are heard by city leaders and become part of the council record.

We welcome the input of our city residents and business owners. The council members can each be accessed through e-mail or phone call, and our contact information is found on the city council page of the city website. Sometimes a concern or complaint can be addressed by visiting the Murray City website and click on the “Report a Concern” button on the right side of the screen. This takes you to a brief form that, when submitted, is directed to the appropriate city department for action. Other matters such as complex land use issues or ordinance changes require a detailed process as outlined by state law.

We welcome and thank each of you, our constituents, for your interest in our city government. We support the efforts of the Mayor’s office in making improvements to the city website in the coming months. As council members, we are your representatives and we will continue to strive to make improvements in transparency and in overall efficiency wherever possible.